Hell's Gate Geothermal Walk: the Reserve on Foot, with the Free Guided Tour

Hell's Gate is the most active geothermal reserve in New Zealand, and this is the ticket that gets you into it on foot. What is out there: water erupting from the ground, an active mud volcano, and land coral, the mineral formations the heat builds up over years. Walk it alone or join one of the guided tours, which run daily and cost nothing on top of the ticket. Departure times change, so check the Hell's Gate website for the current ones rather than turning up on an assumption. The mud foot pool is part of the visit. Sitting with your feet in warm geothermal mud is the reason a lot of people come, and the mud here has a healing reputation that goes back a long way. Māori carving is set up on site, and visitors are given a go at it rather than watching someone else work. The legends behind the place come with the guided walk. The reserve sits just outside Rotorua on State Highway 30, three kilometres down the Whakatane road, about five minutes past the airport. Cancel 24 hours or more before the booked time for a full refund.